Mayor: Fall River 'will become stronger community'

Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan kept a positive tone in his recent State of the City speech, calling for unity as his administration confronts the city's problems this year and beyond.

"The future state of our city will be determined by its most valuable resource: it's people," Flanagan told a packed house in the City Council Chambers at Government Center Feb. 5. "When we turn to each other and not on each other to solve the issues that face us, we will become a stronger community."

Flanagan devoted the first half of his roughly 25-minute speech to the economy, claiming that putting residents back to work is a "top priority." He said breaking ground on a biomanufacturing facility and beginning to reshape the waterfront through "aggressive" zoning and permitting are signs that the city is gaining momentum.

"If you're looking to expand your facility, Fall River is the place for that expansion," the mayor said.

Flanagan said he would continue to advocate for well-funded workforce training in addition to South Coast rail, which would "ensure growth and unlock potential," Flanagan said he intends to start a regional task force with officials in New Bedford and Taunton to ensure rail access connecting Boston to southeastern Massachusetts becomes a reality soon.

Flanagan also shared good news about education, saying that enrollment in Advanced Placement classes is increasing and recent city high school graduates have been accepted at some of America's most prestigious universities,

Flanagan said the new Morton Middle School is scheduled to open in September, on time and under budget. He also said the city would consider a "total reconstruction" of BMC Durfee High School, using state funding. He said the city should "transform an aging, outdated building into a state-of-the-art learning environment."

Flanagan also pledged to be tough on crime.

"As mayor, I will do everything I can to disrupt the drug trade that is occurring at our borders," he said. "If you are selling drugs in our community, we will find you, arrest you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.

"I have seen what addiction can do to a life. It ruins lives. We must save those who can be saved."